I had some comments for some of the entries. Please take the comments as suggestions for directions to go, not as criticisms.

Sander,

I like that the unintended accident depicting the king and queen standing with each other as their world crashes down around them. Did you perhaps take other angles and with and without flash?

Nick12984,

Your concept is good, have you tried adding a soft focus effect? I also wonder if "less may be more" approach, that is may be not as many objects on the table, or perhaps try for a shallower depth of field.

Photoj,

I like your photo, have you considered cropping out the person blurred to the left, to make the focus truly on the couple?

patti,

The child and animal pairing is adorable, I just wish I could see the child's expression.

Big Pix,

Really cute photo, had you considered a square cropping to enhance the intimacy?

Bjorn van Sinttruije,

I really like the kissing birds, however I think an even shallower depth of focus would have helped draw attention to the birds.

When voting I was stuck between big pix and Bjorn van sin.. And in the end I decided going with Bjorn I think because I live in Australia and I see thoes birds and plants alot so it didn't really umm motivate me no thats not right I dunno I liked Bjorns better.

Your concept is good, have you tried adding a soft focus effect? I also wonder if "less may be more" approach, that is may be not as many objects on the table, or perhaps try for a shallower depth of field.capital

I had thought of the DOF but with the lens I was using I was unable to get the effect. I was using a tamron 70-300mm.

When voting I was stuck between big pix and Bjorn van sin.. And in the end I decided going with Bjorn I think because I live in Australia and I see thoes birds and plants alot so it didn't really umm motivate me no thats not right I dunno I liked Bjorns better.

Thanks Marzy!

capital wrote:

Bjorn van Sinttruije,

I really like the kissing birds, however I think an even shallower depth of focus would have helped draw attention to the birds.

As I wrote in the discrpition, I took this photo with my cousins camera, so I didn't know exactly how to operate it. It would have been better, yes.

Hatem. I like your original interpretation of the theme. I too, feel that love is like a flower. You have to keep tending to it, so it will keep growing. Was that on a public garden, or one of your own flowers?

svishak. Another original interpretation. You could probably get the rest of the details you want by examining the meta-data on the file.

Nick12984. I like the lighting. But it could have probably have worked better without so many objects. It looks kind of "crowded".

Photoj. As far as I'm concerned, this one is great. But I could only cast one vote. It only shows how difficult it was to choose. I actually like the blurred person on the left is "just right"; it adds to the feeling of perpspective and backgroud motion (it would have felt more like a studio shot if she wasn't there). As much as I'm no fan of post-processing, I have to admit the sepia filter added to the whole.

ChinaMark. That has to be Lassie reborn!

BrianS. Good capture, but the extense depth of field filled the background with too much detail, taking attention away from your main subjects. Did you forget about that detail, or did feel you had to capture the moment and wouldn't risk going for the setting change?

seattlesteve. That has to be a studio shot. Great idea. Great outcome. Maybe if the baby's face was showing a bit more of his/her profile it would have worked even better? Could you explain what you did to get that "dark subject on white background" effect (shutter speed, etc)?

LahLahSr. I'd have used another orientation ("horizontal" instead of "vertical"). Wouldn't that be more on the "resting mood"?

patti. Great colours, very sharp. Rule of thirds spot-on (on both subjects, no less).I even like that background shadow.

Fairground. Good setting, but there are too many elements distracting from your main subject. Have you tried cropping out some of the space on the left? Also, a slight problem with the light source. Anyone knows how this could have been avoided? UV filter, maybe?

Big Pix. What can I say? It's just perfect. I wonder which camera brand did you use... Oh, there it is... Nikon!

Ormina. Good ideia, good shot. But I would have liked more contrast on those white feathers. It's the old "bride with white dress at wedding" problem.

Gregory.Rotter. Good idea, but framing seems not the best. Colours a bit... dull?

dryan2. Good shot. Were the water drops in there, or did you place them?

roland. Interesting idea. Good shot. I still would have like to see a little motion blurring on the legs.

Bjorn van Sinttruije. Wow, what a lucky shot. And it seems you managed to capture it with just the right settings, in spite of the rush.

johngunnar. Good practical use of exposure compensation. Did you get to that value by trial and error?

Schnaaps. That's not red?

Sander. I liked it. Maybe it would have benefited from an even shallower depth of field? Or maybe a little light from one of the sides?

Again, thank you all.

Last edited by luis on Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Yay!!! I think Luis, that February is going to be even better...with allot of participation...harder on this one...which is the whole idea...heck if this were easy everyone would do it. I think we are going to have a whole bunch of new folks posting. Am looking so forwards to that, wonder what HS has up his sleeve?

Drazen this is one fine assignment task...tho you are half a world away, you managed to get us all on one page...thank you...
I find myself wondering where you all live, how your ordinary day is just extrodinary to me...what will you come up with...

Just a reminder that if you would like to vote for your favourite in the January "On Assignment" then the winner will be evaluated at "midnight GMT on 21st February" (less than twelve hours from now, as I write) so that he/she can choose the subject for March.

If you haven't voted yet then why not head over here and help choose the winner.